How can sustainability criteria be implemented throughout the packaging value chain, and are companies and consumers willing to invest and pay more for more sustainable packaging? We spoke to some of the FMCG experts who attended the Hispack 2024 round table discussion on sustainability in their respective business areas.
Participants:
Amaya Prat, Director of Sustainability and Innovation at Ametller Origen Group, a Catalan group of agri-food companies.
Ferran Vaqué, Project Manager of the Domestic Division of Proquimia, manufacturer and supplier of industrial and professional cleaning products, specialising in concentrated products in water-soluble capsules.
Miquel Campmany, Head of Consumer Communication and Marketing Capability at Nestlé, a Swiss multinational food and beverage group.
Ricard Romero, Marketing Director of Vallformosa, a Penedès winery, a national benchmark in the production and sale of sparkling wines.
Are consumers willing to pay more for more sustainable packaging?
Amaya Prat, Ametller Origen Group
In our case, we don’t look at it from that point of view. For us, sustainability is a challenge that appeals to governments, companies and consumers. In other words, it has to be a joint commitment by society.
Sustainability is not only environmental but also economic, both have converging paths. In this sense, we have several barriers. One of them is the economy of scale of the recycling, packaging recovery and reuse sector, because there are still no intermediate value chain structures. It is true that with the new Plastic Tax regulation and the Royal Decree on Packaging and Packaging Waste we are focusing on the use of recyclable and recycled material. However, we are looking for recycled plastic, but it is not always available and this is a disadvantage for all companies, but we try to ensure that this does not have a dramatic impact on the consumer, obviously because it would not be fair.
The consumer looks favourably on the reduction of single-use plastic, the fact that the packaging has a percentage of recycled material and that we are promoting reusable packaging.
The wine sector’s challenge to gain ground in sustainability
Ricard Romero, Vallformosa
In a traditional sector like wine, with deep-rooted habits, 70% of the carbon footprint is generated by packaging. Where we can really have an impact is on transport, a major CO2 emitter, because the easy solution would be to change the packaging, but the container, the packaging and the label are part of the evolution of the product. In other words, a wine does not evolve in the same way in glass as in another material, and this reason appeals to a barrier related to the quality of the product.
We are working on the environmental impact of the transport part, and in parallel, we are trying to reduce the weight and grammage of the bottles and not so much on the materials. The lower the weight, the lower the emissions, but even so, there are other challenges because in wine-producing countries such as Spain, France and Italy we do not have the awareness of consuming a product as typical as wine, so deeply rooted in the culture, outside of the more traditional formats.
So, what will it cost more: to explain to the consumer the benefits of drinking wine in cans and make them aware of it? Or will it cost more to convince the supply chain to have a selective collection for later reuse instead of melting the bottle, which would generate much more carbon footprint? My reflection and question is what is easier and more difficult: changing a consumption habit or an operational and logistical change in the value chain, especially in sectors such as hospitality?
Good brand practices: is everything that is said to be sustainable sustainable?
Ferran Vaqué, Proquimia
At Proquimia we are certified with the IFSHPC, an accreditation that transmits to supermarkets the certainty that good practices are being carried out internally, from production to what appears on the labelling. For example, if we say that the product is vegan, we must have studies that prove the origin of all the raw materials. Or if I say that a product is for white and coloured clothes, there really has to be a study behind it that certifies it. Therefore, we have to make sure that brands do not really take advantage of the context of sensitivity towards sustainability by practising greenwashing.
For us, sustainability is still a competitive advantage today, but we would like it not to be because there are many other companies that are not doing it. We also believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to reach a point where sustainability is not a differentiating feature, but a must for all companies.
And in terms of globalisation, we are committed to working with local packaging suppliers because it would not make much sense if, for example, we were selling ecological products and we were buying packaging in China. In addition, most of our products are Eco Label certified because it would be inconsistent for a product that is organic in composition to be sold in China. In addition, most of our products have the Eco Label certificate because it would be inconsistent for a product that is ecological in composition to be sold with a pack that is not.
One problem we encounter is that the regulations often demand certain safety requirements that we cannot meet with certain materials. For example, nowadays, for detergents in capsules, it is essential that the closure is child-resistant and complies with ISO 8317. In this case, this solution does not exist with compostable material. When this legislative change took place, we had to change the packaging again, trying to adapt. Therefore, regulations can put the brakes on sustainable initiatives.
How do we talk to consumers about sustainability?
Miquel Campmany, Nestlé
In our case, we make a lot of use of the digital channel, social networks and our own website. In this sense, whoever has a shop has a treasure. The advantage of retailers is that they can provide a lot of information to the consumer at the point of sale. At Nestlé we did a test in the shop we have in the Esplugues factory, redecorating it around the concept of sustainability. In this way we carried out a pilot asking ourselves how we would explain sustainability, how we would explain what we do in each of the categories, the materials we use and the messages.
Ricard Romero, Vallformosa
In our case, one thing we are doing more and more is joining initiatives that already have sustainability as a flag in some way. We have recently obtained the B Corp label, making us the first winery in Spain to obtain this certification.
To give an example, when we have marketed cans, we try not only to talk about the benefit that the packaging offers the consumer, but also about the advantages of cans for the environment, such as aluminium as an infinitely recyclable material, the small space of a can compared to that of other containers, etc.
Brands have this type of information that consumers do not have, so we have the obligation and responsibility to educate and explain very well what we do so that it reaches society in a clear way.
Cristina Benavides, Hispack collaborator
